Bridge to the Sun by Gwen Terasaki is a memoir written by the American wife of a Japanese diplomat during World War II. When the Tennessee born author met and married her Japanese husband in Washington D.C. in 1931, little could she imagine the effect upcoming political events would have on their lives.

This is another novel which came to my attention after watching a movie based upon it. I am very grateful the movie prompted me to read this memoir. I think it is an amazing book. There is so much information in this book about the reality of war. This is the first book I have read which, thanks to the author, allowed me to see inside the lives of the people living in Japan during World War Ii. Up until now, my perspective was limited.

After Pearl Harbor, Gwen, her husband, and daughter were expelled from D.C. and returned to Japan after being interred in the U.S. while awaiting transport. With limited knowledge of the Japanese language, the author lived at her husband’s side throughout the remainder of World War II in a country at war with her own.

This memoir is much more than a story about the politics and deprivations of war; ultimately it is a story about love, marriage, and commitment. It touched my heart and soul.